File becomes read only after synchronize shortcuts

[Neilw_05]

All of a sudden one of our files becomes read only after another drawing is synchronized to the shortcuts. This happens when a user is working in the source drawing for the shortcuts. The drawing becomes read only when another drawing is opened and synched. Has anyone experienced this behavior?

Once again we start having issues on Friday with no access to support over the weekend and a deadline looming.

[Karsten.Saenger]

Hi @Neilw_05 ,

I would like to fully understand the issue and re-create it on my system.
Could you please confirm or correct what I have understood?

1. User A has a DWG 1 open that uses data shortcuts (i.e. to DWG 2)
2. User B opens DWG 2
3. DWG 1 becomes read-only for User A or it becomes read-only after DWG 2 was saved/sinc'ed?

Regards,

Karsten.

[Neilw_05]

It's the other way around. User B will go read only when user A synchronizes the shortcuts.

[Karsten.Saenger]

Hi @Neilw_05 ,

I have tried to recreate the behavior on my system, but it's working fine.

This is what I have tested, please let me know if it needs to be tested differently:

1. Create main DWG with surface, alignment and corridor
2. Created data shortcuts for surface, alignment and corridor
3. Create DWG A and reference the alignment, save as DWG A
4. Open main DWG on another computer
5. Result:
   • It is not possible to edit alignment geometry in DWG A
   • Edited the alignment in the main DWG, saved
   • A message appeares in DWG A that data shortcust have been edited and that they should be synchronized
   • After synchronizing you can contionue editing in DWG A (Computer A) and main DWG (Computer B)

I tested with Civil 3D 2020. Please let me know which version you are using exactly and I will re-test with that version.

Regards,

Karsten.

[Neilw_05]

Karsten, this is only happening on this project. Earlier we experienced a problem with corrupted shortcuts, so we had to create a new shortcuts folder and re-create the shortcuts. This was per guidance from ADESK tech. support. I highly suspect the shortcuts have somehow become corrupted again. We could go through the process again but since plans are ready for issue we are too far into the project to do that now. Interestingly, the problem has now evolved to causing a crash rather than causing the file to become read-only. Our workaround for now is to close the drawing which has the source shortcut objects before doing any work on the plan sheets that reference them.

Hopefully we can continue this project as-is using the workaround. If not we'll try to recreate all the shortcuts. I've learned that it is best practice to NOT XREF drawings that have the source objects for shortcuts into a drawing that has references to those same objects.  Thus I will try a different project structure going forward.

Thanks for your efforts.

[gbondoc]

We have had similar problems of files switching to read-only. Several things to check.

We run ESET antivirus, exclude AutoCAD files from scan.

Check network cable connections. Had one users cable barely hanging on. She was randomly dropping on and off the file server.

Also had a switch go bad. It started overheatting and resetting itself on and off.

[Neilw_05]

Good suggestions. However since it is project specific I think we can eliminate those possibilities.

[Karsten.Saenger]

Hi @Neilw_05 ,

assuming you work with Civil 3D 2019.x, the issue can be related to another currently hot topic that our development team is going to fix with the next update.
Please have a look at the following article:

http://knowledge.autodesk.com/article/Crash-while-saving-a-drawing-with-data-referenced-pipe-network...

The accoring forum post discussion is:
https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/civil-3d-forum/civil-3d-2019-session-disappearing-without-error-data-...

Best Regards,

Karsten.

[Neilw_05]

We are using 2018. I wonder if our problem is related. I went ahead and recreated our shortcuts folder but it didn't help. We are mixing xref and dref pipe networks. The article gives me something to focus on when troubleshooting. I'll do some research on that line. Thanks for the tip.

[sean99XFU]

Still happens in Civil 3d 2021.2.  I would not believe that opening a dwg containing  referenced data would momentarily open the data reference source file open for write and post the dwl files only for a moment causing the source file to be read only for any lucky user that may be editing that file.  I got lucky and saw the dwl files come up in windows explorer then disappear a second later while I was opening a dwg. Why the file is opened for write just to sync the drefs is beyond me.  

But Autodesk never claims its software is warranted for  "FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE ".  

"You were trying to make a living using this software for civil engineering?"  Really!?!? 

[klugb]

So frustrating. I feel like we are going back in time. We separate our files out and Data shortcut everything so the drainage engineers can work on pipe design while the roadway engineers can work on the road design.

Now we waste so much time and frustration with files becoming read-only all day long. 

It's horrible, almost to the point you can only have one person work on a project at a time.

[Clay_Stringer]

I've had this happen before, it was random and limited, so didn't investigate further, but can confirm it's happened to others.  Using Civil3D 2020.

[chris_brenton]

We are currently experiencing this randomly (Civil3d 2018).  Here are the posts that Autodesk suggested to look into.

DWG files unexpectedly become read-only when saved in AutoCAD or Civil 3D | AutoCAD | Autodesk Knowl...

Autodesk Support for Non-Microsoft Networks | AutoCAD | Autodesk Knowledge Network

Autodesk support for Network Attached Storage (NAS) and Storage Area Network (SAN) devices | AutoCAD...

How to set up antivirus (AV) exclusions to improve stability and performance of Autodesk software | ...

Chris Brenton

[sean99XFU]

Looked at the suggested posts.  Almost bought into them for a minute.  Since the NAS storage and unsupported networks etc are not tested then it must be and appears to be all speculation as to what can cause a problem such as this.  This is my opinion and it is an informed opinion as I was a QA tester and know that these networks etc. are not tested at all (I could be wrong but they state they cannot test them and the team I was in never did).

At the moment I cannot envision an automated test case or a manual test case that could reliably confirm that the data reference file is being opened for write upon sync. although I am sure something can be created to check this even if it is coded internally inside or just the coder actually checked the code to see what it does.  What I am trying to say is that, it is unlikely that a tester would get lucky and notice that the file was opened for write as it is very quickly opened then closed.  I doubt this is the mindset a tester would have while feature testing.

One could loop a sync over and over and over multiple times which watching the data ref dwg in windows explorer hoping to see the dwl files quickly come and go.  Depending on how often windows explorer refreshes they might actually see the dwl file created then deleted.    

The coder probably just needs to make sure the file is opened read only upon sync instead of open for write.  Coders make mistakes just like everyone else.

Please fix.

[sean99XFU]

Let me clarify something that probably was not clearly stated before if it all.  This defect is in combination with the file locking issue whereas the file lock (for the source dwg of a data ref) is being lost after a certain amount of editing time.  Designer "A" is editing (for example a pipe network) the dwg containing the data reference source for a period of time long enough to loose the file lock on his dwg (a known issue).  Designer "B", is referencing the pipe network and causes a synchronization to occur in one way or another.  That synchronization momentarily opens the dwg containing the data reference source for write posting a file lock on the source dwg while designer "A" still has the dwg open.  Designer "A" doesn't notice that the dwg he/she is currently editing has flipped to read only as this is totally unexpected/unprecedented in their experience.  Designer "A" might not even notice that every time he/she does a qsave, the qsave or save fails.  This could go on for hours depending on things like having only 1 line shown on the command line for example and not seeing the warning appear.  I do think that I remember seeing a warning.  It depends on where their eyes are focusing or what they are paying attention to at that very moment.  Run a command and that message scrolls on by. 

So the file lock is lost (a known problem that i hear even happens with other apps not just autocad/civil 3d).  A synchronization occurs momentarily opening the source file for write (does the file really need to be opened for write) causing a read only condition for the source file even though someone is editing the file.  

It can be stated that this is not an Autodesk problem and that they have no control over file locking, but then other apps don't create .dwl files either.    The existence of which can be checked and problem avoided.  Or just fix the opening for write defect which I will go out on a limb and say "its a defect and a simple one to fix"  low technical difficulty that probably would take less time to fix that writing this up as a bug report or writing this post.

I apologize for not making this clear before.

I have been using AutoCAD and now Civil3d for ~30 years now.

Worked as SQA in R13 maintence team and R14 Sedona and Pinetop and a bit of R2000.  I love what I do for a living and i loved my time at Autodesk and have great sympathy for the end users of the product.

I wish I was still there so I could write some bugs up and get them fixed.  I may at times seem harsh about this stuff but the truth is I have great respect for the software development department.  Relive me, there are geniuses there doing a tough job handling a couple or few million lines of code every week. 

I think this might be an easy fix and a lot of users are suffering do to this problem.

Please fix this.

Pretty please with sugar on top.

Regards

S. Moya

[Karsten.Saenger]

Hello All,

FYI - a new Civil 3D 2020 HotFix is available for beta testing:

This hotfix resolves an issue where a drawing that has data references would be set to read only when the drawing is saved.

Description: 

• The issue is caused by multiple Civil 3D sessions trying to read the data shortcut source drawing while it is being saved in another session.
• This hotfix avoids the file being locked. The user will still see warnings that the file being used by others and will need to save the file later when other sessions have finished data shortcut synchronization.

[klugb]

Any word on a fix for 2021?

[Karsten.Saenger]

Hi @klugb ,

the current (tentative) plan is: include the fix in 2021.3 in July and 2022.1 in Sept.

Regards,
Karsten.

[Michael_Shurgalla]

We are still encountering this issue. It is has not been addressed, any plans to get it fixed in the near future? 2021.4 maybe? Also is 2022 encountering the same issue or is it fixed in that version?

[klugb]

Yep, still waiting here. Everyone is sooooo annoyed with this one.